The movement of large and/or heavy objects from one place to another can be a time-consuming and potentially hazardous endeavor. For example, large tires range in diameter as well as weight. Not only does such variation in tire size and weight present safety concerns, such objects complicate the development of equipment suitable for this task. In facilities where a large number of aerospace vehicle tires may be present or may be routed, it may not be economically or physically possible to accommodate a large, expensive device designed only for the transportation of and/or lifting of large aerospace vehicle tires, such as a crane or the like. While a number of motorized vehicles may be present at these facilities, such vehicles are not generally suited to safely accommodate the vertical and/or horizontal movement of large and/or heavy objects such as tires that is necessary for routine operations.
While a forklift alone can be used to vertically/horizontally relocate large and/or heavy objects, such as an aerospace vehicle tire from a rest state, the object can be rendered unstable on the forks, which can pose concerns to person(s) in proximity to the object during its relocation. It is also undesirable to use a forklift to vertically displace some objects, as the forks may cause or introduce structural or cosmetic damage to the object. If a pallet is used to lift the object by forklift, at least a portion of the underside of the object can be obscured, preventing visual inspection and requiring the object to be “flipped” or otherwise further manipulated in order to visually observe the entirety of the object, resulting in additional labor and/or time.